Improvement in machine-guns



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NFETERS. PHOTO'LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D. C,

wwwa l i M i -3 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. P. TAYLOR.

'Machine-Gun.

Patented July 23, 187s.

8 Sheets-Sheet, 8..

-J. P. TAYLOR. Machine-Gun.

ted :my 23.1878.

.WANN

.PETERS, PHOYO-LITHOGRAPMEH, WASHINGTON, D, C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEioED JAMES P. TAYLOR, OF ELIZABETHTON, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TO JOHN BAXTER, OF KNOXVILLE,

TENNESSEE.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINE-GUNS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 206,365, dated July '23, D378; application tiled I November 30, 1877.

the following is a specification:

This gun is similar in most of its general features of construction to that described in Letters Patent No. 17 7 ,030, granted May 2, 1876, to myself, and John Baxter, as part assignee.

As now improved, the lock-carrier, instead of being made in two parts, is constructed in one piece. The firing devices consist of 'a spring-pin working longitudinally within the lock-carrier of the sliding lock or follower, and held in its retracted position by a laterallymoving latch, which is thrown from the pin at the proper moment by the pressure of the side of the operating-cam, the latch being made to re-engage with the pin at the rear termination of the stroke by contact with the driving-shaft or with the heel of the cam, and the retraction of the pin being effected in the forward movement of the follower by a rod acting on the latch and coming in contact with a retractible stop, which is withdrawn, when desired, to prevent the cockin g and firing operations.

The shell -extractor consists of a pair of spring-jaws, carried by the sliding lock -or follower, and secured in their holding-position on the ilan ge of the cartridgeshell by a locking device operating in direct connection with the main driving-shaft. The ejector, to throw the retracted shell from the gun, is mounted upon the hopper. It consists of a crank-lever,

the shorter arm of which is acted on by a tappet in the reverse movement of the follower, causing its longer arm to descend and strike the shell a sudden blow. The spring-jaws are used to center the cartridges in the rear of the chamber, and for the further purpose of holding the shells with sufficient resistance against the action of the ejector to cause them to be lthrown with force from the gun, thus insuring the clearing of the feeding chamber of the preceding shell or cartridge before another cartridge can be brought into position in rapid tiring.

loperating mechanism.

The front of the hopper is furnished with a sliding plate, to regulate the length of the feedport to suit cartridges of different lengths or adapt the arm for firing blank cartridges, when required. The hopper is constructed with a pair of vertical bars at a proper distance asunder to receive the body of the cartridge, while its ilange is held in a space in the rear of said bars, so that the cartridges may be fed a number at a time from suitable cases, from which the flanged ends of the cartridges project.

To facilitate the feeding operation, the upper ends of the bars are beveled to receive the cartridge -anges and guide them to their grooves, and the hopper is furnished with a back plate, vwhich may be slid up to serve as a guide to prevent the cartridges being thrown from the case in rapid handling.

In the accompanying drawings I have represented a gun as constructed with live barrels and firing mechanism therefor, operated successively by a single driving-shaft. Five barrels are found to constitute a convenient number in a practical working gun 5 but my invention is applicable to a machine-gun constructed with one, two, or any desirable num ber of barrels.

Figure 1 is a top view, showing the rea-r portions only of the barrels, and omitting the feeding-hopper and the cap or cover of the Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line 2, Fig. 1, show ing the feeding-hopper and the cap or cover in position. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the single feeding-hopper detached. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of portions of the extractor, the locking-jaws, by which they are secured in their holding-position, and the connection by which said jaws are operated .from the main shaft. Fig. 6 is a top vie-w of the same parts. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a case of cartridges adapted for feeding to the maA chinegun.

A horizontal range of any desirable number of barrels, 1 1 1, are fixed in a breech-frame, 2 3which is provided with a cap or cover, 4, to incloseand protect the operating mechanism.

The trunnions on which the breech and bar rels are supported for elevation or range are not here shown. They may be applied as represented in my previous patent, before referred to, or in any suitable manner.

The cartridges are introduced through hoppers constructed of parallel vertical bars 5 5, beveled at top, as shown in Fig. 2, and having, at a suitable distance behind them to accommodate the cartridge-flanges, a vertical backplatc 6, furnished with vertically-sliding eX- tension-plates 7, which may be fixed in their elevated position by set-screws 7 n, so that they may each form a wall, .against which the butts of the cartridges hear in the act of inserting them into the hopper from their cases.

A suitable case for packing cartridges and feeding them to a machine-gun is represented in Fig. 7.

S 8 S are a series of cams, one for each barrel, arranged spirally around the driving-shaft 9, and operating to advance and retract the sliding locks or followers 10 between suitable guides prepared for them in the breech-frame 2 3.

The rotation of the driving-shaft 9 may be e 'tected by a crank, 11, or other suitablemeans.

rlhe cams S are so arranged on the shaft 9 as to actuate the sliding locks or followers 10 in regular succession, so as to discharge all of the barrels at each rotation of the shaft, and no two at the same moment.

The cams 8 approximate in form to sectors of, say, thirty degrees, more or less, and are constructed with laterally-projectin g shoulders or flanges 12, which engage with corresponding lugs or flanges 13 14 on the lock-carriers 15, to which the sliding locks or followers 10 are secured.

The lock-carriers 15 are bifurcated, so that their rear extremities pass to the rear of the shaft as far as the rotation of the cams requires. This construction admits of imparting to the lock-carrier a stroke equal to or nearly double the radius of the drivin g-cam, as described in my previous patent, the lugs 13 receiving the impact and pressure of the cams during the forward movement, and the lu 14 during the retractile movement.

rllhe concentric peripheries of the cams cause them to hold the lock-carriers and sliding locks or followers stationary at the forward termination of the stroke while the discharge is effeeted, and at the rear termination ofthe stroke while the empty shell is ejected from the gun.

Each sliding lock or follower carries a firin g-pin, 17, attached to a slide, 18, which works within the lock-carrier 15, and is form ed with a laterally-projecting lug, 19, with which engages a latch, 20, pivoted at its lower end, and made sumciently elastic to admit of its being deilected laterally to release the lug 19.

16 is a rod sliding within the lock-carrier, and grooved longitudinally on one side, so as to work over a guiding-pin, which limits its forward movement.

21 is a verticallysliding stop, held in position, as illustrated in Fig. 2, by a spring-catch, 21, and serving to receive the impact of the forward end of the sliding rod 16 at each forward stroke of the lockcarrier, so as to press back the latch 20, carrying with it the tiringpin 17 in :readiness for the firing action, which is effected by the contact of the side of the revolving cam with a projecting end of the latch 20, throwing the latter off from thc lu g 19, and thus releasing the firing-pin.

22 is the spring by which the firing-pin is driven forward when released.

By retraeting the spring-catch 2l the stop 21 may be drawn down, as illustrated in dottedlines in Figs. 2 and 3, so that it will offer no resistance to the sliding rod 1G when it is dc sired to suspend the operation of the .tiring mechanism.

At cach backward stroke of the lock-carrier the lug 19 of the firing-pin slips past the laterally sliding latch. 20, so as to be caught thereby, the backward movement of the latch being stopped at this point by contact with the shaft 9.

The cartridge-extractor consists of a pair of jaws, 23, fitted on each side ofthe slidinglock or follower, and having limited longitudinal play thereon. These jaws slip over the flange of the cartridge when the sliding lock or follower comes in eontacttherewith, and pass with it into the breech-chamber, passing between a pair of cheek-plates, 24, which are carried by a rod, 25, attached to a yoke, 26, actuated by a cam, 27 on the driving shaft 9, in such a manner that when the jaws 23 are required to hold the cartridge -ilange firmly, for the purpose of withdrawingit from the gun, the cheekplates 24 will advance on both sides of the jaws, so as to hold them firmly to their work.

In Fig. 5 the cartridgeextractors are shown in an intermediate position, which they reach shortly after the commencement of their forward motion. They then pass forwardv bctween the cheek-plates 24 24, and around the lian ge, after which the cheek-plates are moved forward to the oblique shoulders, where they are firmly held, so that when the jaws are retracted they are pressed tightly between the plates, thus effectually preventing the escape of the cartridge shell from the jaws. The cheek plates afterward receive a backward motion, so that the spring-jaws may be free to pass over the flange at their next forward movement. The forward position of the jaws, which they occupy in retraeting the shell in readiness for its ejection, is represented in Fi e'. G. The cartridges are delivered successively from the hopper to the loading-chamber by a pair of oscillating valves, 28, furnished with springs 29, causing them to open downward,

and closing their upper parts suficiently to prevent the entrance of a cartridge.

At each forward movement of the sliding' lock or follower,which drives the last cartridge forward from the loading-chamber into the fin in g-ehamber, the contact of the sliding lock or follower with the oscillating valves closes them below and opens them above to receive a new cartridge, which is, in turn, dropped into the loading-chamber, when the follower is retract ed, so as to release the valves.

The ejector, by which the shells are expelled from the gun after they are extracted from the gun by the retractingfollower, consists of a lever of peculiar sha-pe, constructed with a long horizontal arm, 30, and a short vertical arm, 31, the latter of which projects into a groove in the top of the sliding follower, and receives the impact of a pin or tappet, 35, just before the follower reaches the rear termination of its stroke, so as to impart a sudden downward movement to the horizontal arm 30 and strike the shell with a sharp blow, throwing it quickly from the gun. This effect is assisted by the spring-guides 32 32, between which the cartridge-shell rests and which are pressed together by their elasticity, afordin g sufcient resistance to the ejection of the cartridge to cause it to be thrown out with a more rapid motion. The spring-guides 32 also serve to center the cartridge in the loading-chamber inline with the axis of the ringchamber, in readiness to be inserted therein, and secure it against slipping` and falling out when the gun is elevated. They serve also as guides for the extractors and the cheek-plates which hold the same.

33 is a horizontal sliding plate, adapted to vary the length of the hopper-throat, so as to adapt it for cartridges of different length or for blank cartridges, when required. This plate is held in any position to which it is adjusted by a clamp-screw, 34.

The operation of the gun is as follows: A

case of cartridges, such as represented in Fig.

7 or a number of such ranges of cartridges combined together, with a vertical range for each barrel, are inserted by placing their backs against the guides and drawing them down between the vertical bars 5 5, when the case is withdrawn, leaving the lower cartridges resting on the upper faces of the valves 28, wh ile they rest in their normal position (shown in Fig. 3) at the center and at the outsides. As each plunger comes forward it throws the valves upward to the position shown over the second and fourth barrels in Fig. 3, causing a cartridge to drop between the valves. The recession of the follower then permits the valves to be again thrown down by their springs 29, causing the cartridge to drop into the feedingtrough, in readiness to be carried forward into the tiring-chamber by the next forward motion ot' the follower. This done, the follower rests while the firing-pin is released and effects vthe discharge in the manner already explained. The next recession of the follower withdraws the empty shell from the firing-chamber, and it is ejected by the lever 30 3l, acted upon by the tappet 35, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. The lock carriers or followers l0, constructed as herein shown and described, and carrying the tiring-pins and the devices for retracting a-nd releasing the same, as explained.

2. The combination of the spring tiring-pin, the latch, the sliding rod, and the stop with the cam adapted to retract said latch and cause the discharge of the piece, as explained.

3. The combination, with the firing-pin, the sliding rod, and latch, of a retractible stop, to prevent the operation of the iirin g mechanism, when desired.

4. A machinegun provided with cartridgej extractors 23 and a locking device, 24, moved relatively to the said extractors by an inde pendent connection with the main shaft, substantialljT as set forth.

5. The spring guiding-jaws 32 32, in co1nbi nation with the firing-chamber and extractor and with an ejector, 3() 31, for knocking the shell or cartridge out from between said jaws', as explained.

6. The plate 33, projecting down wit-hin the hopper-throat to serve as a guide for the points of the cartridges, and adjustable by means of a set-screw, 34, to suit cartridges of different lengths.

7. The combination, with the guide-plates 5 and back plate (i, ot' the extension-plate 7 to serve as a guide in introducing the car. tridgcs, as explained.

JAlllES P. TAYLOR.

Witnesses:

OcrAvrUs KNIGHT, WALTER. ALLEN. 

